Bears ink DT Howard to 1-year deal

The Bears on Thursday signed free-agent defensive lineman Jaye Howard to a one-year contract. Howard spent the past four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bears on Thursday signed free-agent defensive lineman Jaye Howard to a one-year contract.

The 6-3, 301-pounder has appeared in 45 games with 28 starts over five NFL seasons with the Seahawks (2012) and Chiefs (2013-16). After playing in two games as a rookie with Seattle in 2012, he appeared in 43 games with 28 starts the past four seasons with Kansas City.

During the 2014 and 2015 seasons he made 23 starts and recorded 93 tackles and 6.5 sacks, with 5.5 of those coming in 2015 when the Chiefs went 11-5 and reached the AFC divisional playoffs.

Last year Howard appeared in eight games with four starts before suffering a season-ending hip injury. He finished the year with 23 tackles and one sack.

Howard, 28, was selected by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2012 draft. He played college football at Florida, helping the Gators win the BCS national championship in 2009.